Adverse Event Impact

Anchor lead: More data is emerging on the health consequences of adverse events in childhood, Elizabeth Tracey reports.

Almost two thirds of us experience an adverse event in childhood, the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate. Kevin Sowers, president of the Johns Hopkins Health System, says we all need to acknowledge the impact of such events on health.

Sowers: The new CDC report states that 61% of the US adults experienced at least one adverse event such as violence, growing up in a family with substance abuse or mental health issues. More and more we’re recognizing that mental health and substance use issues are actually driving outcomes in chronic illnesses, so clearly putting resources around decreasing a child’s experience of mental health issues or substance use at home will have better outcomes long term. Also having interventions in place for families that have mental health and substance use issues. :34

Sowers notes that there are already such interventions in place in many health systems nationally. At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.